Mail-box.



G. W. PALMER.

MAIL Box. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1908.

904,081. Patented No v. 17, 1908.

1 d l/ f j UNITED STATES P kTNT FFIGE.

CHARLES W. PALMER, Oh ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MAIL-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnnns \V. Pxnuun, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis City and State ofWissouri, have invented a new and useful MailBoX, of which the followingis a. specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and more especially to mail boxesused on rural free delivery routes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved means of forming aletter-receiving slot in the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved closure forthe letter receiving slot.

Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consist in the variousnovel details of construct-ion and combination and arrangement of parts,which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed outparticularly in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts throughout the several views, and

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with the front door open.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal median section therethrough. Fig. 3 is atransverse section of the rear of the box. Fig. 4 is a detail viewshowing the arrangement of the flap covering the slot in the door, thesame being in perspective. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of aportion of the flag staff and the socket therefor. Fig. (3 is a planView of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View showing the manner ofconnecting the back plate to the top plate.

The number 10 indicates the body of the box which is provided with aback 11. The back 11 and the body 10 are joined together by curling oneof the plates upon the other, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2. Hinged to thebody 10 is a door 18 provided with a slot let therein. The slot 14 hasat its end a rabbet 15 formed to project laterally from the slot, asshown clearly in Fig. 1. The metal cut out in forming the slot 14 is notdetached at the lower end thereof, but is bent inwardly as shown in Fig.2 at 16 to form a surface which slants toward the outside of the box, inorder that any moisture that may accumulate thereon may drain to theoutside, rather than to the inside, of the box. In order to protect theinside of the box Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1908.

Patented. Nov. 1'7, 1908.

Serial No. 425,441.

thoroughly from moisture, there is mounted in the slot it a protectingflap which has an upper portion 17 arranged to extend beyond the end ofthe slot 14 and above the top of said slot. By notching the end of theslot, as at 18, there is formed an intermediate reduced portion, andbelow this intermediate reduced portion there is a portion 19 whichextends beyond the ends and below the bottom edge of the slot. Theseportions are so bent with relation to each other that the portion 17will lie close against the inner face of the door while the reducedportion extends out thercthrough and the portion 19 will lie closeagainst the outside of the door, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

Mounted upon the body portion 10 is a socket 20 preferably provided withan up- 'ardly extending ear 21. This car 21. and the body portion 10have mounted. thereon a pivot pin 22. There is provided a signal flag 23having a stall 24: provided with a slot therein, shown at 25 in Fig. 5.This slot is arranged to engage the pivot pin 22, as clearly shown inthat figure, and when the signal is down, the socket. 2* is a stoptherefor. lVhen it is desired to raise the signal, all that is necessaryis to turn the signal up on the pivot and to drop it in the socket whenit will be held therein in a firm and secure manner which will make itim possible to be blown off or accidentally knocked down. When in thissocket, the slot is entirely covered up, preventing lodgmcnt of anyforeign substances.

I claim 1. In a mail box, a sheet metal door provided with a slot formedby incising the metal along the top and end of a quadrilateral andbending the incised portion inward at an obtuse angle along the bottomof the (piadrilateral, and notching the metal at the upper corners ofthe said quadrilateral, in combination with a closure for said slotcomprising a strip of sheet metal of greater length than the extremelength of said slot, and having notches at each end to co-act with thenotches of the slot and hold said strip in position therein, the portionof said strip inside said door being of less width than the portionoutside, and offset therefrom to permit each portion to lie against saiddoor.

2. In a mail box, a sheet metal door provided with a slot formed byincising the metal along the tops and ends of a trapezoid, and bendingthe incised portion inward at an obtuse angle along the bottom of thetrapezoid, and notching the metal at the upper corners of the trapezoid,in combina tion With a closure for said slot, comprising a strip ofsheet metal of greater length than the extreme length of said slot, andhaving notches at each end to co-act with the notches of the slot andhold said strip in position therein, the portion inside said I l l ldoor being of less Width than the portion outside, and ofi-set therefromto permit each portion to lie against said door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 15 as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES WV. PALMER.

Witnesses FREDK. C. MEYER, JOHN L. WVHEELER.

